County woes boil down to manpower

SENECA COUNTY --- Following the robbery of Old Fort Bank in Bettsville last month and issues of bullying and threats in schools this school year, concerns have been raised regarding coverage by Seneca County's Sheriff's Office in schools and townships and villages. The A-T spoke with Seneca County Sheriff Fred Stevens about how the county can handle these issues. "Currently, we're down four deputies," he explained. "So, manpower-wise, we try to have at least three (deputies) per shift. There are some shifts that are out there with two (deputies) and those are staggered throughout the low (call) times until we have the staff." "Even when we are at full staff, with time off, vacations, leave days, sick time or an FMLA, long-term injury, that brings us back to the bare minimums again and we are stuck with two-man shifts out there," Stevens continued. "To do that in a county as large as ours, it takes time to get from where the deputies are out on patrol or if they happen to be on station or finishing handling up a call... it's going to take time for a deputy to get there. Even if it's a 911 emergency, and they're going 60-70 MPH with lights and sirens on, that's still putting the public at risk, the deputies at risk and our fleet at risk." Stevens said it could take a deputy 20 minutes or more to get from one part of the county to the other. "We can mitigate that with the mutual aid we get from the state patrol, but they're down people. If they (emergencies) happen to be near the cities of Tiffin, Fostoria or the village of Green Springs, we can call on them for help until we get there. We do the same for them." He explained he does not want to have a strategy based on hope or luck, so the department is in need of the manpower to fully patrol and handle calls as they come in. "So, with that being said, I believe a week ago, the cops' grant came out," Stevens said. "We are looking to putting in for two more deputies to help with after we get the four (deputies) replaced. So that we can get our manpower up to efficiently and effectively handle the calls for service." He said the grant will pay for 75% of a deputy's wages for three years and the Sheriff's Office has to match 25%, upon approval by the Seneca County Commissioners. The department also has to fully fund the deputy for one year after the initial three years. Stevens went on to explain that the deputies handle more than they were asked to in past administrations such as handling their own accidents and pulling calls for service forms for everything that they are doing. "My thought process on that is to show the taxpayers, the commissioners, the public at large the bang for their buck," he said. "We're making the calls for service more of a priority and we are reporting many things that we were doing in the past, just now it's showing the public all that we are doing. "But with extra manpower comes, you've got to equip them, you've got to have a cruiser for them, you have to have training for them. So, that's going to inflate right down the line. It's not just hiring a deputy." He said he hopes to get the extra manpower and show the need for them. "Then we can maintain that newer level to give safe and effective policing for all of Seneca County," he said. "If you just have an east and a west deputy, that's a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles. Even maintenance with three deputies, having an east, west and a central deputy, if the east or the west deputy needs help, that pulls the central deputy. Then if the other deputy needs assistance, there's nobody to back them up until the central deputy is finished with their call. "If we had four deputies on a shift, we could have two central deputies. That's less wear and tear on the vehicles, less maintenance, less gas and it's safer for the public and safer for the deputies." Stevens compared the situation to the countywide EMS system in which the goal is to have an EMS station at all four corners of the county. "A large part is on me to make sure I'm getting the point through the annual report, the commissioners' meetings and talking with the townships and villages on what the needs are," he said. "And showing them the true statistics of what we're dealing with on an annual basis." The issue of the department providing an SRO to each county school also boils down to manpower. "When Old Fort and Hopewell-Loudon approached us late last year about putting SROs there, it was kind of back and forth with them, the commissioners and me about how we are going to do this effectively, efficiently and monetarily," Stevens said. "We got into contractual talks; we used what I did with Tiffin City Schools during my time as chief as the framework. "I felt that the contracts and deciding who was going to pay for it would be the easy part. By the end of the year, we had it all figured out. But the problem comes down to manpower. We put one into Old Fort, then we're five down. We put another one into Hopewell, then we're six down. So, we have to weigh the balance of what are the most effective services we can provide and what are we legally required to do." He explained that per Ohio Revised Code, one of the mandated services the department provides is enforcement to the unincorporated parts of Seneca County. Taking a deputy off the road and providing an unmandated service of an SRO, is taking away service from people who are calling 911. "I'm not saying that (an SRO) is not a needed position.," Sevens said "We're trying what we can do to do that. I've told the schools I can provide one, maybe two at the start of the school year in August. But because of the mandates being put down by Ohio about having an SRO in schools, some type of security, threat assessments, they are giving funding for that, a couple of other schools are requesting SROs." Stevens explained that there are six schools in Seneca County and if they all ask for one, the department wants to provide them. However, he said that people often don't understand how long that process takes the department. He explained that when the department puts out an advertisement and gets applications in, it takes 3-5 weeks to process applications. Then when positions are offered, it takes another 3-4 weeks to do background investigations. An applicant then goes through polygraphing, a psychological evaluation, drug testing and a physical which all take time. After an applicant passes all of those criteria, they have to give their two-week notice and then do 12-16 weeks of training. Stevens said it takes about half a year for a deputy to be hired, vetted and trained. He further explained that the department doesn't want a deputy who either doesn't want to do road patrols anymore or someone new who has not been seasoned in how to deal with the public.